Greens senator David Shoebridge and Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May are challenging for the party leadership, facing off against Mehreen Faruqi and Nick McKim from NSW, and Sarah Hanson-Young from South Australia in a three-way contest. The unexpected resignation of current leader Larissa Waters due to health issues has led to this unusual situation where almost half of the 11-member Greens partyroom are contesting for leadership. The vote will take place during a planned retreat in Sydney over two days, with candidates emphasizing climate action and distancing from U.S. policies as key priorities.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Australian Greens elected David Shoebridge as their new federal leader after a three-way contest at a two-day retreat in Sydney this week. The decision followed the unexpected resignation of incumbent leader Larissa Waters, who cited worsening chronic kidney disease. At the retreat, Shoebridge secured seven votes to defeat fellow contenders Mehreen Faruqi and Sarah Hanson-Young, with Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May elected as deputy leader.
Waters stepped down on Monday night, leaving the party in a leadership vacuum ahead of an anticipated election. Shoebridge, known for his outspoken views on AI, AUKUS, and fossil fuel issues, emerged victorious despite some criticism over his lack of appeal to younger voters. The vote was unusual for the Greens, who typically seek consensus before leadership ballots.
Faruqi expressed disappointment with the outcome, indicating she would pursue radical action outside the party's constraints. Shoebridge’s election marks a significant moment in the party's history as it recalibrates its strategy amidst rising concerns about One Nation and seeks to replace Labor's influence in politics.
Written for “Greens Leader Contest Outcome” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Greens senator David Shoebridge will challenge for the party leadership on a joint ticket with Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May as his deputy, setting up a rare three-way contest for the future of the party ahead of a vote this week.
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Shoebridge → challenge → vote
Shoebridge and Hodgins-May will face off against another joint ticket led by NSW senator Mehreen Faruqi and deputy candidate Nick McKim, from Tasmania, as well as veteran South Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young who is currently expected to run on a leader-only ticket.
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who → face → ticket
In a statement, Shoebridge and Hodgins-May said they “do not seek to reform Labor, but replace them” as they shared their intention to grow the party, push for climate action and create distance from the United States and “the 1 per cent”.
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they → say → States
Greens MPs will meet in Sydney over the next two days for a pre-planned “retreat” in which they will vote for a leader after the unexpected resignation of current leader Larissa Waters.
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they → meet → Waters
Waters cited worsening chronic kidney disease for her shock retirement.
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Waters → cite → retirement
The Greens have typically sought a consensus candidate before leadership votes, with Waters promoted following last May’s election in an unopposed ballot.
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Waters → seek → ballot
However, the pool of candidates for this week’s vote represents almost half of the 11-person party room, giving six parliamentarians who are not running the power to decide.
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who → represent → power
Both Shoebridge and Faruqi are staunch critics of Australia’s relationship with the United States and will prosecute hard-left positions on economics and foreign policy.
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Shoebridge → prosecute → economics
Shoebridge served as a NSW state MP for the Greens from 2010 to 2022, before moving to federal parliament at the 2022 election.
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Shoebridge → serve → election
He is the parliament’s primary opposer of the AUKUS treaty, arguing that proximity to the United States and President Trump represents a sovereign risk to Australia.
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proximity → argue → Australia
Hodgins-May is one of the Green’s two millennial senators and a relative newcomer to parliament, joining in 2024 to fill a casual vacancy left by retiring Victorian senator Janet Rice.
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May → join → Rice
She has taken a position of more prominence recently, making repeated media appearances on behalf of the party.
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She → take → party
In her pitch for the leadership, Faruqi said the Greens needed to grow, highlighting a “broken” economic model that was hurting voters.
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that → say → voters
The senator has ventilated her frustration that the Greens have not seen a boost in the polls since the election, amid the ascendancy of One Nation, compared to the rise of populist left-wing leaders in the UK such as Greens leader Zack Polanski and the New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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Greens → ventilate → Polanski
Hanson-Young, the first Green to put their hand up for leadership candidacy, raised the threat of a “hate peddling” One Nation, and highlighted protection of the environment in her pitch to party members.
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Young → put → members
Hanson-Young said on Tuesday she was contacting her colleagues to seek their support.
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she → say → support
“The selection of a new leader comes at a time of genuine debate and disagreement about the future strategic and political direction of the party.
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selection → come → party
That debate couldn’t have higher stakes,” Chandler-Mather wrote in a letter to parliamentary colleagues.
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Mather → have → colleagues
He said the Greens received almost 2 million votes last election, yet the direction of the party’s leadership would be determined by just 11 elected representatives.
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direction → say → representatives
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Subscribers → sign → newsletter
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